Erling Haaland’s hat-trick inspired Manchester City to a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool, piling pressure on Reds manager Arne Slot.
ERLING Haaland’s clinical hat-trick fired Manchester City into the FA Cup semi-finals with a dominant 4-0 victory over Liverpool. The emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium intensifies the scrutiny on under-pressure Liverpool boss Arne Slot.
City seized control with two late first-half goals from Haaland. The Norwegian striker converted a 39th-minute penalty after Virgil van Dijk fouled Nico O’Reilly.
He then doubled the lead just before half-time, meeting Antoine Semenyo’s cross with a superb glancing header.
Semenyo added a third goal himself five minutes after the interval, finishing deftly after being played through by Rayan Cherki. Haaland completed his treble in the 57th minute, drilling home from 12 yards for his 28th career hat-trick.
Liverpool’s miserable day was compounded when Mohamed Salah had a second-half penalty saved by City goalkeeper James Trafford. Slot’s team have now won just two of their last seven matches in all competitions.
The defeat marks a third consecutive loss to City this season, a feat not achieved against Liverpool since 1937. Chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” from home fans highlighted Slot’s precarious position.
City’s victory extends their record of consecutive home FA Cup wins to 18. They reach the semi-finals for an eighth successive season, keeping alive their hope of a first FA Cup triumph since 2023.
Liverpool must now regroup for a crucial Champions League quarter-final first leg at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Slot desperately needs a positive result to alleviate the growing pressure.